Rust Proofed and ready for the Winter

Just got it rust proofed, removed the spare tire for better access, bring on the snow and salt!! Had it exactly for 4 years now, frame is like new condition still and plan to have it this way for as long as I can.

 

Southerner here . Does that stuff smell ?

 

Hi Bubba

is that Krown you had applied?

 

That’s hot.

Freedom! That’s what it smells like!!!



Freedom from more car payments to be specific. Due to not having it sell it for parts after 10-15 years.

 

That stuff looks like crap
BUT it absolutely works

Depends on the brand, seems that some are getting better about their smell, some dont smell, and some are terrible and stick around for a month.

 

I've posted these photos before, but here's as good as anywhere to post them again. Fifteen years of rustproofing (Rust Check and Krown), driven through every winter and kept outside. Thankfully, the rustproofers spray up through the spare tire so I've never lowered it for them:

 

You have done good
While its not aesthetically pleasing, it absolutely works and saves your chassis and suspension from rust. Definitely recommend if you are in the rust belt, its a MUST.

 

And body structure. I can't show pictures of the engine bay, door jams or rear hatch because I feel the dark filth would traumatize a few members but it's mandatory for the long haul in these parts.

 

Nah there's no real smell, especially after the first day.

It's similar to Krown, its a local guy here, he does great work for me, being going to him for decades now with previous vehicles as well.

This is true!

This stuff works great and pretty much no smell at all once it burns off the exhaust where it was oversprayed.

Looks amazing for 15 years.

Yea, pretty much everywhere this stuff gets sprayed, all the holes in the doors, hatch, engine bay, etc.

 

What would one normally expect to pay for something like this? I just got my new to me 2023 4R a few weeks ago and am learning that they can be prone to rust over time. I live in MD where they salt the roads during the winter. I got one quote from a LineX place that uses ValuGard and wants $550 for undercoating and $350 for rust proofing or $800 combined. Is this reasonable. I always thought the dealer undercoating was a scam but learning this is likely necessary to keep my 4R in good shape down the road. Thanks for any advice!

 

As far as I know, never go to the dealer for rust proofing. You pay a lot for lower quality. I personally paid $100 but this is because I get a deal since going there for a long time. Usually for something like this costs about $150 CDN here just to give you an idea.

 

wow that's a lot less than any quote I'm getting so far around my area!

 

LineX is a thick hard coating, you don’t want that! The risk to hard coat and rubberized paint is that it that it chips, and the rest is still hard enough to retain its shape and collect/hold saltwater on the frame. It can look great, but be hiding a rusted mess behind it.

Only use wet-film product that does not dry hard, like Fluid film, Woolwax, NH Oil, cosmolene, etc. periodic touch up or reapplication is necessary to maintain the coating.

 

Is Valuegard the same as LineX? The company I was looking at is a LineX company but the coating they use is ValuGard. This is the info they sent me on the product. https://valugard.net/consumers/you-only-valugard-once.html

 

It isn't a difficult job to do yourself. I ordered a few cans of Waxoyl Hardwax Plus, removed my skids and spare tire, then ran it through a car wash. Once it fully dried sprayed away. To me it looks great, though its only 2 years old, but they also brine the roads here in NC and my truck goes through the car wash fairly often. Read around on here, there's several threads on products, application, etc.

 

So thankful not having to deal with that mess. Glad you're taking care of it though.

 

I wish I lived in the south just for this reason alone, climate here can be so harsh on vehicles. I feel better with such protection though, don't feel as bad driving through our salty roads.

 

Looks like a good job, it should stop rust for sure.

 

Still early to tell, but so far so far, I try to keep the underbody as clean as possible during the winter months.

 

Where in NC are you at? I saw them brining here for the first time this past winter, but I’m about 50 miles from the SC border.

 

Rust Never Sleeps, looks good OP

 

Appreciate that!

 

Raleigh, they brine the roads if they forecast any type of frozen precipitation, hate getting on the road right after they do that.

 

In my experience the fluid film smelled for a day or two, then went away.

I've been using Blaster Shield lately, that seems to smell a little less.

I think the worst of the smell is if you get any on the exhaust.

 

Looking good! That's definitely one of the best things one can do for these.

I wish I'd been able to buy mine new and do this from the start, mine was 6 years old when I got it so some damage had already been done.

A big reason I want my next vehicle to be brand new is to be able to do this from the get go.

 

That looks like a permanent asphalt based coating. It say’s it’s self healing, but how well it does it is the question. If water gets past it at any place, it’s going to potentially create rust that works its way behind the coating and eat the frame from the inside out.

I would only risk this on a brand new frame with zero rust. But why risk it when wet-film products exist that dont have these potential drawbacks.